Facts about Money Management

Use a budget. With each paycheck, plan out what you need to spend your money on and do your best to stick to your plan.

Live within your means, or even better, live a little below them. If you have so many financial responsibilities that you cannot save some money out of every pay check, then you should do what you can to cut back on spending. One rule of thumb is to regularly save 10% of your income.

Avoid debt wherever possible (that means bank loans, loans from friends, credit cards, home equity credit, etc.). Try to limit the types of things you do go into debt for to just the important basics, such as a practical car, a modest home, or an education.

Make sure you have a rainy day fund. You should keep about 3 months worth of living expenses available in a savings account or a short-term CD as insurance against unexpected financial problems.

Financial experts suggest that to retire you will need an annual payout from your investments, savings, and pension of about 70% to 80% of your working income. You should make plans to have that amount of retirement income for 25 to 30 years.

Although no investment is without risk, the more reliable ways to make money and prepare for retirement include: (a) living within your means; (b) building up your own career or business; (c) investing in stocks, bonds, or shares in mutual funds, starting with a federal or employee retirement plan, and keeping them for the long haul; and (d) investing money in real estate, starting with your own home.

The two ways to build your fortune that require the least amount of time and money up front are living within your means and investing in a retirement savings plan.

Some investments are so risky they should be avoided altogether. Gambling on the lottery, at a casino, on horse races, or anywhere else is rigged for you to lose. Even gambling on futures and options in the stock market is something to steer clear of because they are very high risk.

Be careful who you turn to for advice. Your friend, relative, or military buddy may think something is a great investment, but if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is not true. Especially if you are active duty, before you invest a lot of money in anything, you should make use of the free services available to you and consult a financial advisor.

Workshop offers presentations that strengthen knowledge on financial topics and provide tools and support to reach goals such as saving for college, retirement, insurance, paying down debt, establishing or rebuilding credit, and preparing for the tax and holiday season.
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Provides financial education, credit counseling, financial goal settings, debt prevention and counseling, loans negotiation, and other supportive services. For eligibility, individuals must be residents of South Bay who are under the poverty line.
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Resources for Taxes

Everyone can e-file, and everyone can e-file Individual tax returns for free. Last year, nearly 100 million taxpayers opted for the safest, fastest and easiest way to submit their individual tax returns — IRS e-file. Since 1990, taxpayers have e-filed nearly 1 billion Form 1040 series tax returns safely and securely. E-file is the norm. And now, with Free File, everyone can file Form 1040 series tax returns for free!
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Provides free tax preparation for low-income families and individuals, with a focus on connecting taxpayers to the Earned Income Tax Credit and other credits for which they may qualify. Volunteers certified by the IRS provide the tax preparation and all eligible returns are e-filed.